U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,057,159, 4,059,198 and 4,485,932 disclose child-resistant closure and container packages that include a container or vial, a closure, and a spring/seal disk arrangement disposed between the closure and the container. The closure has lugs on an inside surface of a skirt that cooperate with external locking notches or pockets on projections around the mouth of the container for securing the closure to the container. An internal abutment on the closure cooperates with the spring/seal disk arrangement to urge the closure away from the container so that the lugs are resiliently captured within the pockets. When it is desired to remove the closure, the closure must be pushed toward the container against the force of the disk arrangement so that the lugs clear the pockets, and then turned counterclockwise. When the closure is assembled to the container, the lugs cam beneath cam surfaces on the projections against the force of the disk arrangement until the lugs snap into the pockets on the projections.
Although the closure and container packages disclosed in the noted patents have enjoyed substantial commercial acceptance and success, improvements remain desirable. For example, it is desirable to provide the closure and container package as a two-piece assembly, rather than as a three-piece or four-piece assembly, by eliminating any need for separate spring/seal disk(s). In addition, it can be difficult for adults with impaired dexterity to close the package, or to push and turn the closure with respect to the container to open the package for access to the contents. It is a general object of the present invention to provide a closure and container package, a closure and a container for use in such a package, and/or a method of making such a package, in which the package is as a two-piece assembly, and in which in the preferred embodiments the closure can be secured to the container in a non-child-resistant mode of operation for use by adults with impaired manual dexterity when child-resistance is not needed.
The present invention embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or, more preferably, in combination with each other.
A package in accordance with one aspect of the present invention includes a container having an end with an open mouth surrounded by a container wall having a central axis. An external ledge extends around the container wall at a position spaced from the open mouth. The ledge has an axially facing surface that adjoins a radially outwardly facing surface of the container wall, and closure securement structure on the ledge including at least one pocket. A closure includes a base wall, a peripheral skirt coupled to the base wall, at least one internal lug on the skirt for receipt in the at least one pocket on the container, and an annular wall that extends from the base wall for plug-sealing receipt within the container mouth when the skirt is received over the end of the container. At least one spring element extends from the base wall of the closure adjacent to the skirt radially inwardly and axially within the skirt. The spring element is adapted to engage the axially facing surface of the ledge and to slide radially inwardly along the ledge surface as the closure lug is moved into the pocket on the container and the spring element is compressed to bias the lug into the pocket. The radially outwardly facing surface of the container wall adjacent to the ledge axially facing surface functions as a stop to prevent over-compression of the spring element, and to prevent engagement of the spring element with the annular wall on the closure and thereby affect the plug seal function of the annular wall.
A package in accordance with a second aspect of the invention includes a container having an end with an open mouth surrounded by a container wall with a central axis. An external ledge on the container wall is spaced from the open mouth. Closure securement structure is provided on a radially outwardly facing surface of the ledge, and includes a plurality of angularly spaced pockets opening away from the end of the container. A closure includes an annular base wall with inner and outer circular concentric peripheries. A skirt extends from the outer periphery and has a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs. A first annular wall extends from the base wall within the skirt. A dome-has a second annular wall that extends from the inner periphery of the base wall in a direction opposite from the skirt. A plurality of spring elements extend from the base wall adjacent to the skirt radially inwardly and axially within the skirt. The spring elements engage an axially facing surface of the ledge to bias the lugs into the pockets when the skirt is received over the container end, the spring elements are compressed and the first annular wall is in plug-sealing engagement with the container mouth in a child-resistant mode of operation. A radially outwardly surface of the container wall functions as a stop against over-compression of the spring elements and to prevent abutment of the spring elements with the first annular wall of the closure. The projection is received within the container mouth in a non-child-resistant mode of operation, with the second annular wall functioning as a plug seal within the container mouth.